Cortijo Los Lobos — Hotel in Villanueva del Trabuco

Cortijo Los Lobos is in a beautiful setting, and ideal for those who want to walk or ride. The scenery is amazing and there are plenty of lovely walks and a warm swimming pool, but for those who want to venture further a car would be necessary as there's no local transport. I was there for the 2 day Riding Confidence Course and I'd expected that it was for people who are not confident in our riding ability and often feel nervous, and would be conducted with us on horseback. For example good riding position so we were more confident in the saddle. Maybe some pointers into handling situations such as when a horse spooks. Also confidence building by telling us what we were doing right. In the event it didn't involve the horses at all and was conducted sitting around a table. It was all about the phsychological and mindset aspects of riding, for example how to mentally deal with a specific fear, such as fear of falling. We did go for two 90 minute hacks, which were very pleasant, but didn't seem to relate to the course content. I didn't stay for the second part of the course, which was again given around a table, and would suggest that the website could be amended to make the course content a lot clearer. I was inititially lodged alone in a small cabin, but had to be moved as the weather was very unusual, with heavy rain, and the cabin had plastic roofing, so the noise inside was rather like sitting in a drum. My next lodging was a shared cottage (El Establo), which would be ideal for a family, but not so much for strangers. I was in the upstairs bedroom which had a toilet and sink, but I had expected that it would be self contained, or at least have a shower and kettle, which it didn't. It was directly alongside the only living room, so not good for a light sleeper lodged with people who like to stay up late. Fortunately this didn't apply to the very pleasant ladies I shared with, so was OK. The downstairs had a bedroom, kitchen and bathroom. Unfortunately the cooker and kettle were right alongside the downstairs bedroom door, so very inconvenient.for anyone like me who likes a hot drink and an early breakfast, as the noise would obviously wake the people in the bedroom. I did enjoy the company of the 2 ladies I shared accommodation with, but on balance, the experience was, for me...

I’ve been to Cortijo Los Lobos three times now. The last two times were to run a course there. Firstly, the location is absolutely stunning and the scenery and feel of the place is magical. A great place to relax, or if you’re active like myself, it’s a great place for walking!

The accommodation is superb. I’ve been lucky enough to stay in both the El Jaral appartment and the El Establo cottage. They are both extremely comfy and homely, and wonderfully cool on hot summer days too. I shared the El Establo cottage when I was running one of my courses, but it should be noted that the shared accommodation is only during courses. There is plenty of space though and lots of areas to chill out on your own if you’re an introvert like myself!

The hosts, June and Clive, are just lovely and make you feel very welcome. I had taken my partner along on my last visit and we hired a car so that we could go off and explore, June and Clive’s recommendations of places to visit were brilliant and we really enjoyed seeing the sights.

As for the animals, well it’s paradise for an animal lover. I very much enjoy the company of the dogs, cats and chickens! The horses have been an important part of my visits as the they have been involved in my horse agility course. They really are part of the family there and very well cared for and loved. It’s great to see horses allowed to be horses, living in little herds so they have the natural interaction with their own species and the freedom to move about. They have been absolute stars for my courses too, and are becoming quite the horse agility experts now! I’ve been fortunate enough to enjoy a fair bit of riding during my visits and it is a beautiful place to ride. The horses, again, have always been stars. I also LOVE that you can take a horse out for a walk instead of riding, it’s one of life’s joys that not many people have experienced or given the chance but walking with horses is fantastic! Highly recommend trying that.

All in all, it’s a little piece of paradise. Whether you want somewhere to relax, somewhere to hike and explore, somewhere to spend time with horses/animals or somewhere to learn on a course - this...

Stunning location, excellent/stupendous hosts in June, Clive and Lilly - nothing too much trouble! Multi-cultural guests (America/USA, Belgium/USA/Spain, UK and not forgetting Lena (sp?) from Estonia made the book retreat an unforgettable magnificent, excellent stay. I would highly recommend their September ' book retreat' to any avid readers/writers who want a perfect location with peace, tranquillity and time to chill and relax. You don't need to be a reader though, as Cortijo Los Lobos is a perfect place for anyone). As a solo female I felt utterly safe and free to 'do my thing' - ie, read, relax, chat, discuss books/writing, swim, ride, walk and yoga. You do what you want (I must admit I went for reading by the gorgeous pool rather than the walk, but thoroughly enjoyed the gentle yoga (thank you Lilly for your empathic understanding) and the walking ride through the pine forest was magical! June is a superb chef and I have never eaten so much - she combines wonderful flavours which you cannot say no to. Clive was a great asset by picking me up from the Arrivals Hall, Malaga airport (his role is not to be under-estimated for a solo, older female) and I was extremely grateful for the pick up to the location. This was most important to me as a solo traveller - so thank you Clive! and Lilly, their daughter, dropped me back to Malaga airport at end - again, a huge thank you to all the family! All in all - my second solo trip, aged 72, has been a huge success but only thanks to hosts June and Clive and Lilly. Am saving for September...